A Fierce FinaleDyke Night comes to a close after 15 years

By Judith Katz

Dyke Night. The name alone has proven so radical that it’s taken the local press years to even print it in its events calendars. Since 1991, queers of all gender stripes have been treated to extravaganzas of song and dance; masterful martial arts and baton twirling; fabulous feats of stand-up comedy; parades of dykes and their dogs; agitprop magic acts; transgressive tale-telling via film, poetry, and princesses with power tools; and more than a few bizarro novelty acts. From its inception, Dyke Night has been a brave and fierce addition to the Twin Cities Pride calendar. But sadly, this Dyke Night, number 15, will be the last.

Conceived by the Walker’s aggressively queer former performing arts curatorJohn Killacky as a venue for diverse and dangerous local lesbian artists, Dyke Night was curated and emceed for its first three years by playwright/performer/visual artist Chris Cinque. She presented poets, writers, and performers such as Elaine Shelley, Barrie Jean Borich, and Kim Hines; premieres such as Carolyn Goelzer’s Princess Power; and a showcase of the best Twin Cities lesbian performers had to offer.

In 1994, Dyke Night was passed to the capable curatorial hands of queer arts guerrilla Eleanor Savage. What started as a culturally diverse extravaganza of local dyke talent evolved under her direction into a sublime mix of local, national, and international artists from every performance discipline. Dyke Nights have included such psychedelic astonishments as Butch/Femme Baton Twirling, a gigantic guitar band featuring Powderhorn rock favorite Ellis; and a showcase of agitprop, overtly political performances whose intention was to directly address life under the Bush administration.

If Dyke Night has been this much fun and this important for the past 15 years, why does it have to end now? For one thing, the Walker stage already hosts an incredible array of artists who are lesbians—Jennifer Monson, Meredith Monk, Elizabeth Streb, Anne Bogart, Eve Beglarian, Pauline Oliveros, Lucinda Childs, Ann Carlson, and legions more. Additionally, Savage, the Walker’s associate director of events and media production, has a new vision for these political times: “With the rise of the right wing, my focus has shifted from organizing within one community to the broader cultural and human rights picture.”

Still, Dyke Night 15 promises to be one we’ll remember for a long time: you’ll be treated to superstar femme Lois Weaver as mistress of ceremonies; Peggy Shaw and Vivien Stoll’s rock-and-roll ode to being a butch grandmother; and dance duo HIJACK with Karyn & Sharyn and a cast of thousands for a madcap voyage into wedding bell hell. What a way to say good-bye!

—Adapted from an essay by Judith Katz in the Pride Guide. Katz is a Minneapolis activist and author of the novels Running Fiercely Toward a Thin High Sound and The Escape Artist.